Michelle
Miller of Grand Cayman's Organic Food Group sent us this photo of Kirk
Supermarket's produce manager Tony Perkins and Yorick Phoenix also of
Grand Cayman's Organic Food Group. Mr. Perkins was recently awarded
a "Certificate of Appreciation" for bringing organic produce
to the island. During the past nine months, he has developed an extensive
organic produce department, which includes leaks, yellow squash, asparagus,
eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, green peppers, red peppers,
onions, cauliflower, and salads. The quality and the variety are great
and it nearly always sells out. Organic food lovers island wide are
talking about how wonderful the organic produce is, many say that it
is the best that they've eaten in years. The organic section of the
produce department is an inspiration for other Caribbean countries and
small communities worldwide.

While
organic food is still a very small part of the overall market, the organic
foods industry is booming. Retail sales of organic products have grown
steadily for the past ten years. Conservative estimates show a compounded
annual growth of 20% each year, or a doubling every five years. The
past several years has also shown a shift in availability of organics.
Ten years ago, organics were most often found in farmer's markets and
health food stores. Now they fill aisles at traditional supermarkets
like Kirks.

According
to the "Organic Consumer Profile" by the Hartman Group, almost
one-third of the U.S. population currently buys organically grown food
products. Another 60% does not, but would be willing to try them. Light
organic buyers account for 29% of the U.S. population, while 3% are
heavy organic buyers. Over half of all organic products are purchased
at grocery stores and supermarkets. The most frequently purchased product
groups are vegetables, fruits, and cereals/grains.